Special guest from the best croatian winery!

Ivo Jeramaz, Grgich Hills

Ivo was born in Croatia to a family of grape growers and as a boy, he assisted in winemaking for his family. However, he didn’t plan on becoming a winemaker.

Ivo earned a master’s of science degree in engineering and dreamed of coming to California to work as an engineer.

In 1986, with the help of his uncle, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, Ivo came to Napa and changed his mind about his future career. Mike immediately put him to work washing barrels. Ivo now has almost three decades experience at Grgich Hills and while he has taken enology and viticulture courses at University of California, Davis, Ivo says, “I’ve learned more working in the vineyards and in the winery with Mike.”

Ivo is responsible for the day-to-day operations in the cellar and the vineyard, including naturally farming Grgich Hills’ 366 acres without artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.

 

Rural tourism and wines Kezele

The Kezele family founded rural tourism based on the family tradition of preparing cauldrons and producing wine. On the estate, wooden houses that are around 100 years old have been arranged for visitors, where they can enjoy dishes from local cuisine and wine from their own cellar. The experience of a real rural economy is surrounded by a beautiful view of the vineyards, a stable with domestic animals and an ethnographic collection with wonderful antiquities.

Every well-intentioned traveler will find something for himself at this property. Wine lovers will visit the cellar and get to know the autochthonous Moslavina škrlet variety, children will fall in love with the playground and Croatian posavac horses, and recreationists will walk or cycle through the forest to the lake.

From the very entrance to the estate, there is a beautiful view of the vineyard where they grow skarlet, graševina, chardonnay, yellow muscat, Rhine Riesling, merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. In the production of wine, emphasis is placed on quality instead of quantity, which they achieve primarily with low yields and fertilization with manure.

 

Željko Garmaz

Publicist and wine journalist, for twenty-seven years he wrote for others – 24 sata, Vjesnik, Globus, Slobodna Dalmacija, Nedjeljna Dalmacija, Bosanske poglede, Valter, and then he realized that he had to start writing about what he loves most – Africa and wines. He is the author of seven books, four of which are about wine, and the popular blog Wine Stories. He is the organizer of the Traminac Festival.

He is also the author of the documentary film “Sierra Leone – Land of Blood Diamonds”.

For his humanitarian involvement in Rwanda, together with his wife Maja, he received the Pride of Croatia award, as well as the Charter of Humanity of the Osijek-Baranja County. In 2019, the City Council of the City of Ploč awarded him “a personal award for exceptional contribution in the field of literary creation and humanitarian work and promotion of the City of Ploč”. He lives and works in Osijek.

He is currently in Africa with his family – he contacted us from the trip with a video message that you will have the opportunity to see and hear at the conference – interesting, as always 😊